While making a career boosting choice through postdoctoral stint for your intended career in academia, industry or beyond that, you should also think about the financial implications and available timeline of the next few years of your life. -

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” – Marie Curie

Many PhDs have this dilemma whether to do a postdoc or not? And my answer is JUST DO IT..!! The postdoc will add value to your CV; help acquire new skills that can help you to get a better position either in academia or in industries. In addition, it gives an opportunity to build good network globally and to learn about new workplace cultures. However, there are many facets and things to consider while making a career-boosting choice.

1. When is a good time to start postdoc applications?

The best time to start your application is some time after your thesis submission. The preparation for this will start way early, right after you have published your major scientific findings from your thesis work. This search requires reading up possible research work from the field of your choice and a few selected laboratories. This allows you to get novel ideas to write way better research ideas in the cover letters. Prefer not to apply too early. Scientific meetings, seminars, and conferences are another best way to connect with good scientists and discuss the possibility of research positions in their lab. If you left a good impression, and they do not have any position, then they will be happy to refer you to some other lab.

2. How to choose the field? To change the field or not to change?

Ideally, it is said, not to choose the same field that you have worked in during your Ph.D. So that you can add extra skills to your CV and diverse experience will make your candidature stronger. You might feel some insecurity while exploring a new area of research, but later when you master it, your scientific aptitude will be extraordinary. It will also give you the confidence to connect dots in a broader sense to make better discoveries.

However, if you want to continue in the same field, then try to engage with those labs that have much collaboration, better networking and more learning opportunity.

3. How to find the correct laboratory or niche?

There is nothing called a “correct laboratory” but correct human beings are more important. Your network will help you gather information about your future workplace and this is crucial before making a final decision. The ethnicity of PI has nothing to do with it. Information about lab alumni are the best way to predict how well you will do if you are a part of this group. A semiformal meeting with the future lab members and you will automatically realize whether to join or not, by their warmth and scientific attitude. Make sure that PI has sufficient funding to support the lab and your salary for at least a couple of years. Postdoc offer for less than a couple of years leaves a very small time to adjust and make strides in scientific progress

4. How to approach your future mentor?

Direct email addressing your future mentor is the most popular and accepted way of applying for a postdoc. Your network could get you a lot of information about a possible open position in the future laboratory or group. Most scientists want to see a good cover letter and CV. Learn to describe your scientific work in crisp and simple words. Write only your primary work of thesis (or your first author article/s), while avoiding many technical expertise details that you have used. Before you approach them, read their research. Make some notes and think. Convey some scientific ideas/ points in your cover letter. I would say, learn to sell yourself and your science!

5. What are the postdoc fellowships that you can apply for?

The postdoc is challenging mainly due to lack of financial support and some may drop the plan. There are some good fellowships available some are national, and some are international that are open to all nationals. All the popular fellowships are listed here:

Indian Fellowships:

To sum up, while making a career boosting choice through a postdoctoral stint for your intended career in academia, industry or beyond that, you should also think about the financial implications and available timeline of the next few years of your life.

“Which way you ought to go depends on where you want to get to...” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Author Vijay Soni (Ph.D.) is currently working as an instructor of microbiology in medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, New York. He has completed his Ph.D. from BITS-Pilani Hyderabad and the National Institute of Immunology (NII, Delhi).

Edited By : Dr. Rajesh D. Gunage and Ratneshwar Thakur

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